While I tend to be a hardcore punk at heart who spends most days listening to bands like Slutbomb and RBNX, I have to tell you that I love a good posthardcore band whose influences range so far and deep that I either can’t make a comparison or if I do the comparison changes from song to song. Such is the case with Wexford’s new album, Silent Key, which has impressed me one song after another.

Per the band ‘The album name "Silent Key" honors a friend and mentor of Shawn who passed away during its recording. "Silent Key" refers to a deceased ham radio operator, symbolizing their silent Morse code key. The ceremony often includes a symbolic final transmission. The album’s last track features a silent key ceremony using this friend's Morse code key.” Having lost more friends from the scene than I can count on two hands, I appreciate their efforts to honor someone with the album name and in the music.

These dudes are probably close to my age or if not they just dig that late 80’s/early 90's postpunk, posthardcore, dischord, grunge, emo scene. Yeah I know that’s a lot of adjectives, but their sound ranges from Hot Water Music, Fugazi, Hum, Quicksand, Dinosaur Jr, Jimmy Eats World, Jane’s Addiction, and more.

While I’ve listened to the whole album several times, I don’t have space to review each song, so I started with the opening song and hit random to see what came up. Here are my hot takes:

From almost the start “Change Your Mind” reminded me of Dag Nasty with Peter Cortner. We're talking like “Godfather” on Wig Out at Denkos. It’s both the phrasing and the vocal tone that really made me jump straight to this comparison. I can see this song easily fitting on that album or fitting on Field Day or some other alternate universe album in between. This is a good fucking start for this DC hardcore fan.

The next song that came up was “Dirty Habit”, and this changed the tone and came in quite a bit slower. It reminds me a little of Jets to Brazil. It goes on pretty gentle for a while and then when you’ve almost decided that it’s going to keep that mood the whole song, it kicks in hard which was a nice payoff. The vocals remind me of Chris Cornell from Soundgarden or Corey Glover from Living Colour (Yes, everyone should know these names without me having to mention the bands, but I spend a bit of time with young kids at shows who are still delving into music, so I assume nothing.) It’s less the vocal tone and more the style which brings that sort of late 80s/early 90s hard rock way of singing that made me give that comparison.

Next is the song “Moving On” which happens to be their single. The song uses that that soft to loud, soft to loud song structure that the Pixies were really known for and that Nirvana really super popularized in the 90’s. I think my favorite part of this song is the drums. I love the fact that they're playing on the rim but still playing in a forceful way that's driving it, and then that snare roll right at the end where it almost sounds like they're using brushes so the the snare has this dope sound. What dope sound? You'll have to listen to it, fuck you. I also really dig the intro with the soft vocals and then the big bam entrance. And the backing vocals that are buried a bit in the mix are rad.

“Ode to the Battleground” has that Texas is the Reason sort of feel to it. It's a solid fucking ass rock song. Lots of dynamics, particularly when the drummer and the string players (never trust a string player), get together, and they just really nail those fills and dynamics. You know, the part I really enjoyed was when the vocals dropped out and it feels like it had to be at least a minute without the vocals. And I kind of was like, oh, the vocals are not coming back. Is this just how it's going to end instrumentation wise? And it kind of was like, I was almost on the edge of my seat wondering if there was going to be vocals because I'm watching it, and the song is almost fucking over, and there's still nothing there. And then it reaches the last 15 seconds or so, and the vocals come in again. But just for a little bit, just to kind of like tease you. It’s like tickle of your taint, and then it moves on and it’s all was over but it leaves you wanting more. (I recorded this response on my voice recorded while driving and decided to keep it the way my transcription software wrote it cause it fit how I was feeling).

The final song I’m gonna dig into is also the final song of the album, “Save Some Face”, which besides ending with the aforementioned silent key and their friend’s morse code key is also a hauntingly beautiful song. It’s one part Smashing Pumpkins at their saddest and one part Dashboard Confessional at their most confessional. I can’t totally discern all the lyrics, but the message comes across from overall feel of the song.

Check out the full album on Bandcamp and buy a digital copy to support the band. I only wish it was out on vinyl!

Also check out the official video for “Moving On”.

You can also listen on their Spotify or my Punk / Hardcore Playlist or my Garage Rock /Indie Rock Playlist

Unfortunately I couldn’t find any live footage which is always my go to as a live album vinyl record label.

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Need a song reviewed or playlisted? Contact me using the email below (Keep in mind, I only review bands I actually like; you can go elsewhere for insincere or negative reviews.)

Want to mail a vinyl for review? Message me at dcpcbooking@gmail.com for the address

No tapes and no CDs, I can’t play either of them

Also make sure to check out DCxPC Live’s store where I have vinyl release of live albums by amazing hardcore, punk, ska and metal bands! We are a small DIY record label doing our best to document the scene we love in the way we love it most—LIVE!

If you dig this band, I’d recommend DC’s Outerloop!